Boeing to cut 30 jobs in Millville

In this 2012 file photo, Boeing employees, officials, Civil Air Patrol Cadets and other guests celebrate the 100th modified CH-47F Chinook helicopter to be delivered to the U.S. Army during a ceremony at the Millville Airport. Boeing has said it will cut 30 jobs at the facility because the Army hasn’t renewed a contract for the work here.(Photo: Staff file photo/Charles J. Olson)Buy Photo

MILLVILLE – The city is dealing with another series of layoffs, this time from Boeing’s modification facility on the grounds of Millville Municipal Airport.

By the end of the year, 30 employees who work on modifying CH-47F Chinook helicopters for the U.S. Army at the facility will receive layoff notices.

The Army won’t renew its contract with the facility, which expires March 2015. The facility has been modifying Chinooks since 2010.

“We had anticipated a contract extension for Millville; however our customer’s requirements have changed,” said Paul Guse, a Boeing spokesman. “While there is no defined work scope identified for Millville beyond the current contractual deliverables, Boeing continues to pursue and evaluate other options that would bring additional and adjacent work into Millville.”

The helicopters are built in Ridley Park, Pa. before coming to the modification center here. Several modifications are done to the vehicles, including the installation of a defense system for infrared guided missiles.

Once modifications are complete, the Chinooks are ready for service worldwide when needed.

The Army made the decision for Boeing to modify the helicopters here due to its proximity to where they were being built, just outside of Philadelphia.

Boeing is the second company in the city to announce layoffs in recent weeks. In early November, Gerresheimer Glass announced more than 100 employees would be let go from their jobs in January.

The Wheaton Ave. glass plant plans to reduce production, and won’t rebuild a furnace following a significant leaking incident this year.

“It’s a sad situation,” Mayor Mike Santiago said on the city’s job outlook. “Losing jobs at Gerresheimer and Boeing is two blows to the city. It’s a hard time. We hate to see people losing their jobs, especially during the holidays.”